Wednesday, October 21, 2015

From Hogwarts to All Souls - A Journey

Hello friends! Because of this trilogy we've met many like-minded people. Amongst our fellow All Souls enthusiasts, this question usually popped up within our first introductions: "What brought you to All Souls?" We love hearing about the journeys to the Trilogy. Here is one story that we thought would be cool to share because many young adults grew up with Harry Potter. As he entered maturity, so did they - right by his side.

We'd like to thank our good friend, Jei-Nhy, for writing this guest post and telling us about her personal road and many a reader's inevitable leap into the All Souls universe . . .
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A Blending of Worlds. Harry Potter and the All Souls Trilogy

By Jei-Nhy Quirantes

J. K. Rowling gripped the literary world with the wizarding world of Harry Potter for a decade. If you’re a huge fan like I am, you can understand that those years were filled with magic and wonder as our imaginations took over our senses and gave us a much needed reprieve from high school and our entire muggle existence. As our minds crossed Platform 9 3/4. We were gifted with not only magic, but with a sense of adventure as we battled magical creatures, tried our hands at potion making, and secretly wished we were as smart as Hermoine. And, if you’re a huge fan like me, you were a bit sad when this magical world came to a close and we were forced to well...grow up.

It’s hard to overcome a spellbinding story like that. The ability to blend the fantastical with a dash of reality to make the possibility of a magical existence not only believable, but almost logical. A story like that is magic. Pure magic.

Which brings me to the exciting introduction of the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness. She does a superb job in creating another door into our Narnia-like world where magic exists again!

We loved Harry Potter because of the adventure! We were jumping with Harry Potter on the back of that troll in the girls' restroom! We were shaking alongside Ron when Harry dragged him to meet Aragog. And we were running alongside our classmates in the Great Hogwarts Battle, flashing our wands at those Death Eaters. The All Souls Trilogy matches that level adventure and then some! We meet vampires face-to-face, to the point they’re practically family! We meet witches and wizards, some bad, but most good. If you are like me and absolutely love the Burrow, you’ll definitely love the Bishop House. And if you’re thinking that a story that includes vampire and witches is ordinary, I can’t wait for you to meet the daemons! They add an extra flair to the magical world that you’ll definitely appreciate! The All Souls Trilogy offers many adventures down many different paths. You’ll love All Souls Trilogy because of the adventure.

We loved Harry Potter because of the magic! I dare you to tell me I’m wrong! We loved the story because of the wands, the charms, the potions, and the spells. We loved flying on brooms, facing dragons, and being intrigued by all things Hogwarts. While All Souls Trilogy may not have the exact same stunning spells or even those nasty 'Forbidden' curses, it has its own kind of magic. The witches in All Souls have their potions and their own sort of 'time-turners'. They weave magic in ways I haven’t seen done before. The All Souls Trilogy upgrades its magic for our (hopefully) slightly more mature minds. We've grown up quite a bit, and so did the magic!

We loved Harry Potter because every now and then we have trouble drawing the line between the fictional world and reality. Let’s be honest - reading through the series, tell me you didn’t find yourself thinking that a magical world and the world as we know could possibly exist? It almost made sense that you couldn’t see Platform 9 3/4 because you didn’t get a letter from Hogwarts, but that doesn’t mean others didn’t! The blending of reality and magic that Rowling created made it almost plausible that a magical world existed in parallel with our current realities. It’s the same balance and blend with All Souls Trilogy. Ms. Harkness is a historian by trade and weaves reality between a magical existence that blurs the lines enough to make you question it, even if just for a second. We get swept into Diana’s magical existence without even realizing it, because if we’re honest, it’s always been around us. You’ll love All Souls Trilogy because it makes fiction a reality!

Harry Potter will always be one of our first loves. All Souls Trilogy will be the next. Capturing the same sense of adventure and magic, All Souls Trilogy helps us bridge that gap between childhood and the life we now face. It’s been almost twenty years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was first published. We can drink beer, rent a car, and actually pay taxes to Uncle Sam. We're finally allowed to join in grownup conversations, and All Souls Trilogy helps us do that without losing the adventure, or the magic.

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P.S. It's not our tale to tell! Do you have your own personal tale you'd like to share with All Souls fans? Contact us!